What is bleed?
Ink to the edge of the paper is a bleed.
For example, the finished document on the right, the picture of Percival Horace as a young kitten and the purple text box both have bleed. The designer wanted the images to go to the edge of the page on the finished document.
To prepare artwork for printing that has a bleed, you need to 'make it bleed'.
On the left, the artwork is set up with the band and picture bleeding. It will be printed on an over-sized sheet and trimmed down to the finished sheet size.
At PrintFusion we ask for 1/8” or 0.125” on each side that has a bleed and most commercial printers are the same*. If you’re creating an 8 ½ x 11” document and you want your image to bleed on all four sides, you’ll have to make sure the image is sized at 8 ¾ x 11 ¼” (8.75” x 11.25”). That’s 8 ½” plus 1/8” on the left and 1/8” on the right, and 11” plus 1/8” on the top and 1/8” on the bottom.
Software & Bleed
If you are using professional layout software, you can specify the document size and then specify the amount of the bleed. When you create the print-ready PDF, it will include the bleed for you.
If you want your document to bleed, you should avoid using word processors, spreadsheets and presentation software to create your print-ready PDF.
Show Me the Money
A document with a bleed is printed on a larger sheet of paper and then trimmed to size which usually means an increased cost. But, this cost is often worth it if you need to present a professional image. Next time you pick up a brochure or a business card, look to see if it bleeds.
* Large jobs like banners or jobs with complicated finishing may require bleeds of 1/2" or more. Check with your printer before sending the artwork.
